Before heading into college, you were warned about the “Freshman 15″. Excessive amounts of alcohol and drunk eating caused these new found pounds for most college students. Just like in any drastic change of lifestyle, it takes it toll on the body. Eventually, the body does adjust to changes, but not before a new figure has been set.
Starting our first job, or even just changing jobs are lifestyle changes that can quickly add on the pounds. Consider this your warning of the “New Hire 20″. What causes the “New Hire 20″?
- We go from very active, or semi active lives, to an extremely sedentary life at work. We sit all day long (commute, at desk, commute home, tv)
- Lunches out with co-workers, clients, and vendors
- Lunches in at our desk (sitting still once again)
- That asshole keeps bringing donuts and bagels everyday
These are all obvious, but it’s important that they are. They should be easy for us to fix or stop from happening too frequently. We can go into our first job or new job and worry about how we look and feel later, or we can make healthy choices from the beginning and be proactive about our health. While I’m not a health expert, I would suggest the following to keep you from the “New Hire 20″:
- Wake up 10 minutes before you need to and exercise (pushups, jumping jacks, sit ups, bike, walk, run)
- Take an actual lunch break. After eating, go for a walk outside. If it’s cold, go to a mall or somewhere that you can walk. It’s a nice mental break.
- Take the stairs every time
- Buy this thing and put it under your desk
- Get involved, join the company softball team (or whatever) if they have one
- Get a gym membership OR 10 minutes before bed exercise again (pushups, jumping jacks, sit ups, bike, walk, run)
These all seem obvious, but when you start your first job or get a new job, it’s easier to avoid doing these things. We are focusing on our new job and making connections, I get it, but we still need to make sure we keep an eye out on our health.
{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }
I work in an office that’s very accommodating to bicyclists. There is indoor bike parking, a gym with showers, etc. Even so, only a small handful of people actually bike to work, but I can honestly say that they are the healthiest of the bunch.
Hey Rob – thanks for the comment. It took me a while to get into exercising. I started working in June 2005, and began working out January 2006. Quickly I lost whatever I gained and then really never gave up working out.
In the end, it’s just about our health and how we feel about ourselves.
“That asshole keeps bringing donuts and bagels everyday”
Story of my life! I work in an all-female office and there are ALWAYS cookies or donuts, or jars of candy laying around. Great tips for staying in shape! It’s hard going to the gym after 8+ hours at the office so I like your 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes in the evening suggestion. Thanks!
Hey Ashley – thanks for your thoughts and comments. I am training a few friends right now and have given them the “10 and 10″ advice. It’s a great way to wake up and boost the metabolism, and its a great last second calorie burn before bed.
Hopefully those assholes stop bringing donuts!
I noticed this when my hiring managers were in one area verses multiple buildings, floors etc. Hey if we could hook up the mini bike to power that phone, computer or internet connection we would be in awesome shape!
Great advice to squeeze in a few minutes of exercise. Something is better than nothing. Chris Hoyt, aka The Recruiter Guy, did a pushup campaign that was fun. http://www.recruiterguy.net/personal/pushin-up-the-work.html
Marianthe Verver
Corporate Recruiter
Twitter @mverver
Hey Marianthe – funny you bring up Hoyt’s pushup campaign, someone actually brought that to my attention yesterday….pretty great program for people that don’t also go to the gym!
Thanks for leaving your comment!
Rich,
Well said points that I think get overlooked by far too many 20-somethings. My first job started me on one of the most challenging health periods of my life. 6 months into it I got diagnosed with a digestive disorder for which their was no cure. Working and trying to live the same way you did when you were in college in terms of lifestyle, health, etc is a recipe for disaster. It’s only when I realized that I needed to be a bit more realistic about what my body could handle that things started to turn around. I still have the condition, but because of my lifestyle it doesn’t have nearly the impact it used to.
Hey Thanks Srini – I agree about the recipe for disaster. Must have been tough getting diagnosed with the digestive disorder. Sometimes it just takes a few tweaks and changes to make things easier on the body. Glad you made those changes.
This is a good theory and a great list. We’re always faced with these moments in time where we can keep gaining weight (college, starting to work, etc.) and it’s all very true.
When I take my lunch, I go for long walks with co-workers or catch up on phone calls. Luckily, I work downtown and we have a bike path along a creek in Boulder but it’s always nice. Then of course, I always work out in the morning before work or afterward. It’s imperative.
Hey Grace – I love that you go for long walks with co-workers. Not only is it great for bonding/moral it’s just nice to get outside. Being stuck inside all day is the pits, get outside and enjoy the weather when its nice! Thanks for your thoughts and comment!
Haha, at my office we call it the Corporate 15. With all the meetings, appts and travel we do managing sales teams, eating healthy is an extreme challenge (to say the least!) Add to that being on the road from 7 AM – 6/7 PM and you are barely able to pick up the #2 Super Sized “meal” you picked up on the way home.
That being said I still make the effort to push through and get to the gym or do an hour of yoga before work. And weekend I’ll go out walking/running/hiking – anything to get outside and moving. Even with all that, it’s still a challenge though…
Hey Elisa -It is always a challenge, and sounds like a very strong challenge at your work place. Walking, running, hiking is amazing, love all 3!
As always, thanks for leaving your thoughts, comments, and story here!
Hi Rich,
Thanks for sharing advice on how to stay fit and active after starting a new job.
When I took a full-time internship position the summer before my senior year of college, I quickly realized my life was becoming very sedentary. I went from running around campus all day to sitting at a desk all day. Luckily, I worked at a hospital, and the cafeteria had a wide assortment of healthy meal choices. I also began taking a half-hour walk after I returned home each night.
I’m happy to report I didn’t gain any weight… and I didn’t even have to buy a gym membership!
Thanks again,
Rebecca
Hey Rebecca – thanks for stopping by and leaving your thoughts. You certainly got lucky with the healthy choice cafeteria food. Small companies don’t have a cafeteria, and when they do the vending machines are full of shit usually.
Good work, great healthy success story!
Couldn’t agree with you more! Business Fitness smart move #1–Stay Well. Energy, dependability, initiative, and personal brand depend on the state of your wellness.Want to position yourself to move forward, take care of your physical, mental, and emotional health! Great advice, Richie…just hope folks will take it!
Hey Dawn – The choice to take care of personal health is a choice made by the individual. I didn’t invent anything new, but they are things that people simply don’t want to put the effort into doing. I believe that a clear mind, creates opportunity for success.
THanks for your comment.
In France, many companies still REQUIRE people to either go to the company cafeteria for lunch (it’s good food, not like American public school food) in order to prevent them from eating in front of their desks. While that’s mainly true for large, traditional French companies (like the one my husband works for), French people generally go out to lunch to take a break. In the Communications field and in design/branding/comm agencies, they tend to do a lot of eating at their desks (but that could also be to compensate taking 2 hours worth of smoke breaks during the day).
Regardless, the principle is there and I believe in it strongly. I feel so much more refreshed the days I actually go out, grab lunch, or take a walk during my break than sitting at my desk with a sandwich.
Great post Rich!
Hey Lindsey – I didn’t know that about French working culture. That’s interesting to me that they can require that. Thanks for your thoughts on this and bringing it up.
I’ve never thought of this before but it makes a lot of sense to me. The commuting aspect will be especially difficult for me (as my commute will be around 75-90 minutes each way).
After thinking about this post more, I wonder if you might consider writing a series or even a single post on what new hires should do to get up to speed. How does one learn all the informal rules/how to play the local office politics well? What about finding mentors? etc
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